Hinds County Supervisor Kenneth Stokes called the news conference Sunday afternoon at the Mary Jones Center to talk about the need for more security. Not long after he started talking, a gunshot was heard.

"We are going to have a resolution encouraging the Sherriff's Department and the Jackson Police Department…" Stokes said, but paused after the gunshot was heard. "You could see what I'm saying. You know, here at this time, you're hearing gunshots and those kinds of things, because that's the nonsense that's taking place."

Stokes said violence is breaking out during basketball games at the park. He said the Jackson Parks and Recreation Department took down the basketball nets in the park until security is enforced.

"We must have a police presence," Stokes said. "A few weeks ago, some person decided to go home and get a gun and shot up the whole basketball court."

Church members near the center said things would be different with better police presence.

"If we had security, maybe we would have more children to participate in activities that go on at the park," said Jackson resident Grace Mozee.

"I think it would be a deterrent for some of the things that may happen here," said resident Karen Porter.

Stokes wants JPD and the Hinds County Sheriff's Department to step up, but Othor Cain, a spokesman for the sheriff, said there is only so much that can be done since Stokes and other supervisors voted to reduce the department's budget.

"Supervisor Stokes voted to cut the Sheriff's Department's budget, so we would like an opportunity to revisit that conversation and give us adequate funding, and we will get things done," Cain said.

Cain said the Sheriff's Department patrols the park. JPD officials did not immediately respond to calls from 16 WAPT News.

Stokes said he will bring up the issue at Monday's Board of Supervisors meeting.

ALL THE INFORMATION YOU NEED TO KNOW. AND OF COURSE- CHECK OUT OUR WEBSITE ON WAPT.COM. THANKS BRITTANY. A GUN SHOT FIRED DURING A NEWS CONFERENCE SET UP TO TALK ABOUT CRIME AND VIOLENCE AT JACKSON PARKS. THAT HAPPENED TODAY ...AND 16 WAPT'S JENNIFER ORTEGA WAS THERE WHEN IT HAPPENED AT THE MARY JONES CENTER. SCOTT, KENNETH STOKES WAS HERE TO TALK ABOUT THE NEED FOR MORE SECURITY. NOT LONG AFTER HE STARTED TALKING....WE'RE HEARING GUNFIRE. AND THE SHERIFF'S DEPARTMENT SAYS STOKES CUT THEIR BUDGET...THERE'S ONLY SO MUCH THEY CAN DO. JUST MINUTES INTO OUR INTERVEW AND WE HEAR GUN SHOTS! WE ARE GOING TO HAVE A RESOLUTION ENCOURAGING THE SHERIFFS DEPARTMENT AND THE POLICE DEPARTMENT GUN SHOT YOU COULD SEE WHAT I'M SAYING YOU KNOW HERE AT THIS TIME YOU'RE HEARING GUNSHOTS AND THOSE KIND OF THINGS BECAUSE THAT'S THE NONSENSE THAT'S TAKING PLACE HINDS COUNTY SUPERVISOR, KENNETH STOKES, WAS HERE TO TALK ABOUT VIOLENCE BREAKING OUT DURING BASKETBALL GAMES AT THIS CITY PARK. STOKES SAYS THE CITY PARKS AND "REC" DEPARTMENT TOOK DOWN THE BASKETBALL NETS IN THE PARK--- UNTIL SECURITY IS ENFORCED. WE MUST HAVE A POLICE PRESENCE. A FEW WEEKS AGO SOME PERSON DECIDED TO GO HOME AND GET A GUN AND SHOT UP THE WHOLE BASKETBALL COURT. CHURCH MEMBERS NEAR THE CENTER--- SAY THINGS WOULD BE DIFFERENT WITH BETTER POLICE PRESENCE. IF WE HAD SECURITY MAYBE WE WOULD HAVE MORE CHILDREN TO PARTICIPATE IN ACTIVITIES THAT GO ON AT THE PARK. I THINK IT WOULD BE DETERENT FOR SOME OF THE THINGS THAT MAY HAPPEN THERE STOKES WANTS JPD AND THE HINDS COUNTY SHERIFF'S DEPARTMENT TO STEP UP . BUT OTHOR CAIN WITH THE SHERIFF'S DEPARTMENT SAYS THERE IS ONLY SO MUCH THEY CAN DO ...SINCE STOKES AND OTHER SUPERVISORS VOTED TO REDUCE THEIR BUDGET. SUPERVISOR STOKES VOTED TO CUT THE SHERIFF DEPARTMENTS BUDGET SO WE WOULD LIKE AN OPPORTUNITY TO REVISIT THAT CONVERSATION AND GIVE US ADEQUATE FUNDING AND WE WILL GET THESE THINGS DONE. CAIN SAYS THE SHERIFF'S DEPARTMENT PATROLS HERE BUT RESIDENTS...SAY THEY NEED MORE. WE REACHED OUT TO JPD FOR COMMENT. WE'RE STILL WATING FOR JPD TO GET BACK TO US ON THE SECURITY ISSUES AT THIS PARK. STOKES SAYS HE'S GOING TO BRING UP AT THE SUPERVISOR MEETING TOMORROW MORNING. IN JACKSON,